Mechanically-operated safety zone



- C. GORE.

MECHANICALLY OPERATED SAFETY ZONE. APPLICATION FILED IAN-21,1921.

1,394,003 Patented 06th 18, 1921.

' 21562688; itfz'f'ff'fit?" UNITED STATES CHARLES GORE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MECHANICALLY-O'EERATED SAFETY ZONE.

Original application filed May 29, 1920, Serial No. 385,320.

T all whom it may concern:

I, CHAnLns GORE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, resid'ng in the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ll'lechanically-Operated Safety Zones, of which the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact de-,

scription, enabling those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to safety devices for street cars, and more particularly to a reciprocal plunger adapted to provide a safety Zone in the manner shown in the drawings and described in the following specification and claims.

It being known that many serious accidents result from the carelessness of drivers of vehicles attempting to pass street cars while discharging or taking on passengers, it is an object of my invention to provide suitable means to prevent, as nearly as possible, the possibility oi such accidents, by providing a zone of safety, protected by a reciprocally mounted, illuminated plunger.

It is an objectof my invention to cause the reciprocal plunger to be operated in one direction by means of air pressure on a piston, and to cause it to be operated in the other direction by means of a spring aft-er the air pressure has been released from the cylinder.

It is a further object of my invention to cause the reciprocation of the plunger element, to open or close the motor circuit, thus preventing the street car being operated during the period that the plunger mechanism is extended.

It is a still further object to provide suitable means of conveying electric current to an incandescent lamp in the. end of said plunger element, and to provide means of opening and closing the circuit to said incandescent lamp.

In an application filed by me May 29, 1920,,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Divided and this application filed January Serial No. 459,001.

ing my invention in modified form applied to a street car.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a street car, showing my mechanism mounted thereon with a reciprocal element 10 represented in the extended position by the dotted lines, and in the telescoped position by the solid line.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section and plan of my cylinder and plunger, means of illuminating the extended end of said plunger, and the mechanical switch for effecting control by opening and closing the main circuit to the propellent motors of the car for effecting car control, as hereinbefore set forth.

Fig. 3 is a crosssection through an air valve which merely represents a suitable valve for the purpose of admitting air to the cylinder 7, and allowing same to exhaust therefrom, thus enabling the spring 17 to return the plunger 10 to its telescoped position.

Fig. i is a cross-section on the line X-X of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section and plan of a modified means of conveying electric current to the illuminating means 18 within the plunger 10.

In the figures, 6 is a street car, 7 is the cylinder mounted on said street car 6, by means of the brackets 8 and 9 respectively. 10 is a reciprocal plunger mounted within the cylinder 7, and being'rigidly attached to a piston 11. 12 represent anti-friction members which may be on the order of sheaves, allowing the reciprocal member 10 to operate freely without resort to stuiiing, boxes or lubrications. 13 represents an air valve admitting air pressure to the cylinder 7 through the passage 15 and the connection 16 with the cylinder 141 represents a suitable rotatable valve mounted in 13. 17 represents a spring adapted to return the piston 11 to the inner end of the cylinder 7 and there bring it into contact with a reciprocal plunger 23 in order to operate the same against the tension of the spring 34 thus breaking the contact at 26, thereby opening the light circuit 18 and to close contact 35 enabling the street car to be propelled. 18 is an incandescent lamp, or similar source of light for illuminating the reciprocal member 10, such illumination to be visible through apertures 19. 20 is a binding post at the end of the conductor rod conveying electric current to the lamp 18 from said binding post by means of the wire 20. 21 is an insulated copper wire for current leading through insulated sleeve 25. 22 is another similar electric lead. 23 is a reciprocal element held in position by a spring 3 1 and caused to operate reciprocally by the momentum of the piston 11, and by its momentum causean oscillation of the element 28 to open contact 35 and close contact 26, or vice versa. I 24: represents a suitable telescopic means for conveying an electromotive force to the lamp 18. 25 is shown to be an insulating sleeve around the electric lead 21. 26 represents a contact for 1 opening and closing the circuit to the lamp 18. 27 is a means of attaching the end of the spring 17 to the cylinder head 29. 28 is a :tulcrumed member attached to an oscillating member 23. 29 is a cylinder head. 30 is a 20 cap over the end of the cylinder 7. 31 is a lurtherlead for anelectromotive force from contact 26.- 32 is the inlet for air pressure to the valve 13 through which it may pass to the cylinder 7. 33 is an outlet from valve 25 13 which may be placed in communication With the passage 1516, respectively, through an oscillation of the rotary member '14. "3 1 is a spring on the oscillating switch element 23' and 28. 35 is a contact which 3 controls the motor circuit of the car 6. 36

is a suitable soft pad which may be pneumatic in character and is designed to prevent injury to the passengers about to board the car. Referring to means 241 of convey- 35 ing an 'electromotive force to the lamp 18, Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of my preferred means of conducting said elec- V tromotive force, in which 37 is a metallic tube. 38 is an insulating coating surround- 4 'ingsaid tube. 39 is an insulating guide tube, and 40 is a metallic conductor adapted to telescope within the metallic tube 37.

Fromthe description given, and by reference to the drawings, the constructionof the device will be readily understood. When the car 6 is stopped, either to take on or discharge passengers, the conductor or m0- torman having charge of the operation of the gate, operates the controlling device 14, and by admitting air to the cylinder 7, causes the plunger 10 toextend outward, thus closing the 'streetagainst vehicular trailic inproximity to the car, and formin a safety Zone from which passengers may leave or 5 board the car in safety.

"When the signal is given for the car to proceed, the mechanism 14 is once more op- "erated by the conductor or motorman, and the plunger 10 is driven back into the cylin- 50 'der 7, by means of the spring 17, the car then proceeds, the plunger remaining in that position until'the car is again stopped.

It is a principle of this invention, that the movement of the plunger 10 control the motor circuit of the car 6 and also the light 18 in said plunger, by means of a mechanism such as plunger 23, spring 34:, fulcrumed number 28, contact 26, to the light 18, and the motor circuit 21 and 22, and contact 35.

Thus whenthe plunger 10 and the piston 11' are fully telescoped within the cylinder 7 ,they press against the plunger 23, overcomethe tension of the spring 34, cause reciprocal movement of tulcrumedmember 28, open contact 26 to the light 18, and close contact 35, controlling the motor circuit of the cart), thus allowingsaid car to be operated under powen The cycle, or order of events, is reversed when air is admitted to the cylinder 7 by means of rotating 14in the valve 13 to admit air to the cylinder 7, to cause the projection of the extension member 10. l r

I claim:

1. In combination with a street car, a mechanism adapted to provide a safety zone comprising, a stationary cylinder, a reciprocal plunger mounted therein, a piston attached to said plunger, a valve to supply air pressure to one side 01 said piston to cause the reciprocation of same against the tension of a spring, 1or the purpose of providing a saiety zone, and in combination with said mechanism, means to illuminate the end of said recipineal-member, when the same is extended, and mechanical means to open the car motor circuit wnile said plunger is extended, thus preventing a possible starting of said street car while the safety zone meclr auism is extended.

2. In a street car safety device, the combination with the car, of a stationary cylindrical member, a piston mounted therein, a reciprocal plunger attached to said piston, means of supplying air-pressure to said piston to cause said reciprocal member to project beyond the side of the car and partway into the driveway between the car and the street curb, and combined therewith mechanical means for opening the street car motor circuit while said reciprocal piston and plunger are extendedto prevent said -ar from making progress;

3. In a safety deviceotthe character'described, a car, a reciprocal member performing the functions of a gate, and adapted to partly close the street between the car, and

curb against vehicular traffic, a cylinder suitably attached to the car frame, air con trol means adapted to admitair to said cylinder and to allow of the escape or" same, mechanical means in the cylinder to'control the motor circuit of the car and to control a circuit for illuminating the end otsaid reciprocal gate as described. l

4;. ln'a device of the character described, a car, a reciprocal gate attached to the car,

and adapted to partly close the street be tween the car and the curb against vehicular traihc, an air valve, a source of air pressure supply, means to operate said air valve, and mechanical means in combination with said reciprocal gate, adapted to control the motor circuit by opening and closing same, and adapted to control an illuminating circuit to a light in the end of the reciprocal gate.

5. In a device of the character described, a car, a cylinder attached thereto, a reciprocal element mounted in the cylinder and adapted, when extenced, to provide a safety zone in proximity to the entrance to, or exit from, said car, an air valve, a source of air supply, a connection to the cylinder means to oper ate said air valve for the purpose of causing the reciprocation of a piston and plunger, by means of said air pressure, and in the cylinder mechanical means to control an illuminating light in the end oi the plunger element, and to open and close the motor cir cuit of said car to prevent starting the car while said plunger element is extended.

6. In device of the character described, a car, a cylinder and plunger adapted to pro vide a safety zone as described, an air valve to admit air to drive out said plunger, a spring adapted to return said plunger when the air is released, and mechanical means, combined with the cylinder for controlling an electric circuit to an incandescent la p in the end 01 the plunger, and for controlling the motor circuit of said car, by opening and closing the same through mechanical contact with the reciprocal element.

7. In a device of the character described, a car, means to propel the car, means attached to the frame of the car as shown, adapted to project an extension member into the roadway between the car and the curb, thereby partly closing said roadway to vehicular traiiic; a switch operated by the movement of said extension member, and adapted to close the motor circuit of the car when in the telescoped position, and to open said motor circuit while closing an illuminating circuit in the extension member, as it is caused to project into the roadway.

8. Means to provide a safety zone, as described, comprising an electrically driven car, a reciprocal extension member, adapted to open the car circuit and to close a light circuit when extended, and adapted to close the car circuit, and open the light circuit when in the telescoped position, means to cause the movement of said extension member, comprising an air valve and air pipe connections from said valve to the cylinder, to cause the movement in one direction, and a spring means to cause the movement in the other direction when said air pressure is released.

CHARLES GORE. 

